Everyone need not think the same: Facebook girl

OUR BUREAU

Renu Srivastava (left) and Shaheen Dhada speak to the media in Mumbai on Tuesday. (PTI)

With all respect, every day, thousands of people die, but still the world moves on. Just due to one politician died a natural death, everyone just goes crazy. They should know, we are resilient by force, not by choice. When was the last time, did anyone showed some respect or even a two-minute silence for Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Azad, Sukhdev or any of the people because of whom we are free-living Indians? Respect is earned, given, and definitely not forced. Today, Mumbai shuts down due to fear, not due to respect

— Shaheen Dhada on Facebook

Mumbai, Nov. 20: The young woman who found herself arrested for questioning why an entire city should shut down for one man’s funeral today said she had not intended to hurt anybody.

“I put up something which was my point of view. I was shocked that it became such a large issue. I don’t know what went wrong. It is not necessary that everybody has the same point of view and that is why I apologised,” Shaheen Dhada told The Telegraph.

A 21-year-old management graduate, Shaheen said she had wanted to de-activate the Facebook account that had got her and friend Renu Srivastava — she had “liked” the post — into trouble. But her family members found the account had been hacked and another fake account in her name had been opened.

Shaheen has complained to police that she is not responsible for any activity on these accounts. She has yet to decide if or when she wants to resume Facebooking, she said.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut today claimed the shutdown on Sunday in Mumbai was spontaneous and had not been forced by his party.

“It was because of love and respect for Balasaheb. Shiv Sainiks were naturally upset at the misuse of social media to post provocative comments. The Shiv Sena has no link with the arrest of the two girls. If the police felt their comments were provocative and arrested the two girls, there is no reason to oppose it,” he said.

On Sunday, police had detained the women after the Sena’s Palghar chief, Bhushan Sankhe, approached them to file an FIR. They were made to apologise the same day but were arrested on Monday morning. Both women were granted bail by a local court on a surety of Rs 15,000.

Ten arrested

Ten men, most of whom are from the Sena, have been arrested on charges of rioting and trespass on a complaint by Shaheen’s uncle Abdul Dhada, whose orthopaedic clinic in Palghar, over 100km from Mumbai was ransacked on Sunday.

“The mob destroyed the hospital rooms, beds, equipment and the operation theatre as well. Four patients have been shifted to other hospitals,” Abdul said. The damage to property is estimated at Rs 20 lakh.

The police said more arrests were likely and confirmed that most of the men they had picked up were Shiv Sainiks. “We sought their custody but the court granted them bail on a surety of Rs 7,500 each,” said senior inspector Srikant Pingle of Palghar police station.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said he would take action once the probe report on the police action was handed in.

“I have instructed an inquiry to be conducted by a very senior officer immediately. I will act as soon as I receive the report,” he said.